CE Broker is happy to be participating in the Surgeon General's Healthiest Weight Initiative. Let's get healthy, Florida.

CE Broker is happy to be participating in the Surgeon General’s Healthiest Weight Initiative. Let’s get healthy, Florida.

Florida’s Surgeon General, Dr. John H. Armstrong, recently announced his new Healthiest Weight Initiativeand we at CE Broker are trying to do our part to help out. Dr. Armstrong launched the program in January 2013 and hopes to involve the community in helping tackle the state’s number one health threat–weight. Florida’s obesity rate is at 36% and is rapidly rising, with rates increasing to as high as 60% by 2030 unless things change. High obesity rates result in increased incidents of diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and other metabolic disorders. Healthiest Weight Florida is structured for businesses, non-profits, state agencies, and other organizations to join together to influence Florida’s adults and children to make the healthiest nutrition and lifestyle choices to reduce the obesity rate by 5% by 2017.

The Healthiest Weight Florida is divided into five different strategies to best address all aspects of health.

Strategy One-increasing the opportunity for physical activity: All CE Broker employees now receive a $30 subsidy for any gym they choose.

Strategy Two-making health food available everywhere: CE Broker is partnering in a Community  Supported Agricultural share that will be delivered to the Jacksonville office once a week. Employees will have their choice of organic vegetables provided by Palmetto Organics

Palmetto Organics Community Supported Agricultural Share.

Palmetto Organics Community Supported Agricultural Share.

Strategy Three—Promote health in the worksite: A “Chief Fun Officer” has been chosen as the leader of the office to find fun activities once a month for employees to participate in. Past activities have been a corporate 5K run, participating in the “First Coast No More Homeless Pets” opportunity, having healthy community potlucks in the office, and many more activities to come.

CE Broker participates in the Corporate 5K. Team name-- Not Fast, Just Furious.

CE Broker participates in the Corporate 5K. Team name– Not Fast, Just Furious.

Strategy Four—Strengthen schools as the heart of health: CE Broker is currently looking for ways to actively participate in this strategy to be rounded in helping out in all five categories. If you have any opportunities or ideas for CE Broker to join, reach out to us in the comments below.

Strategy Five—Market what matters for a healthy life: We are dedicating a page of our new CE Broker website (under construction) to promote sustainable business practices.CE Broker will give back to make the planet a better place – more details coming soon!

We are proud supporters of the Surgeon General’s Initiative and hope you’ll help the state reach the health goals of a %5 decrease in obesity rates by 2017. We’d love to hear how your company is participating. Share with us in the comments below some great healthy living practices that you or your company are practicing.

If you are participating in Florida’s Healthiest Weight Program in any way, or if you have any success stories to share, tweet #HealthiestWeightFL!